Hotel Monaco

For a true taste of Munich, why not party at the world's longest running wedding reception, the famous Oktoberfest. The festival is held on the city's Theresienwiese or 'Theresa's meadow' named for the blushing bride. Locals shorten it to simply Wiesn, which is also used as a nickname for the event itself. Each year huge, elaborate wooden and canvas tents are erected across the 26 hectare site in four parallel avenues to create a temporary city of ornate beer palaces presided over by legions of bulging, buxom, stein-bearing barmaids. This year, more gregarious imbibers had a choice of 14 different beer halls - each with their own distinct atmosphere, specialities and beer supplied by one of Munich's six major breweries: Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbrau, Lowenbrau, Paulaner or Spaten. Each one brews a special Oktoberfest beer.

Music is a very important part of the celebrations and most of the tents have their own stage and a band. Mostly it's traditional oompah-pah style brass-band Bavarian folk music. The drinking songs are accompanied by lots of synchronised swaying and waving of beer steins. Even if it's not your usual choice of listening you'll be amazed how quickly you'll start to get into the spirit of things after one or two litres of house beer. If you're not convinced though, the Hackerbrau-Festhalle offers a rock alternative in the evenings.